Wash-off process light-sensitive materials are materials for forming so-called relief images. The relief images are formed by developing an exposed wash-off process light-sensitive material with a tanning developing agent incorporated therein to thereby harden only the exposed portions of the light-sensitive layer, with the unexposed portions being not hardened, and then washing the developed light-sensitive surface to wash off the unexposed portions, with leaving the exposed portions as a relief.
Conventionally known silver halide direct reversal emulsions contain silver halide grains previously provided with fogging nuclei in an optical or chemical manner. However, when a tanning developing agent is incorporated in these emulsions, the fogging nuclei previously provided therein are destroyed by the developing agent during the period before being coated on a support or during storage after being coated. Thus, preparation of practical products is extremely difficult.
Even when a layer containing a tanning developing agent is provided adjacent to an emulsion layer so as to prevent destruction of fogging nuclei by the tanning developing agent as described above, the fogging nuclei are still destroyed during storage after being coated on a support. Thus, products with good preservability have been difficult to prepare.